Gilbert and Sullivan’s accessible comic opera fondly pokes fun at love.

The satire, which mocks the aesthetic movement of the 1870s, was staged well by the Worcester Gilbert and Sullivan Society; from the simple but atmospheric scenery to a star performance by Rebecca Fearnley as the naive milkmaid, Patience.

With a thick West Country accent and simple dress, Patience - comically carrying a stick of butter - was an outsider, who had never loved and did not understand why other maidens pined after aesthetic poet Reginald Bunthorne (Mark Tooby).

But when endearing narcissist Archibold Grosvenor (Alan Feeny) arrived in town, she fell for him hard and fast. Fearnley’s strong operatic voice soared above the rest of the cast.

She and Feeny - whose foppish, self-adoring aesthetic was a little like Hugh Laurie’s Prince Regent in Blackadder- were well paired, while the other performers gave their all.

The colourful production was pantomime-like at times; uplifting and tongue-in-cheek. It was good to see an orchestra - ably led by Sue Black - spilling out of the theatre pit and Sue Coleman’s costumes were beautiful.

Patience runs at the Swan until Saturday, October 25.